Raza Rabbani terms Parliament hallmark of democracy

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani said on Tuesday that Parliament is the hallmark of democracy and it rightly can be called the flag-bearer of a democratic system.

He said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of newly constructed Senate Museum at the Parliament House. Rabbani gave a detailed account of the underlying philosophy for establishing the monument of Unsung Heroes, Gali-e-Dastoor and the Senate Museum and said that people were subjected to tortures, imprisonments and were hanged for not bowing to the dictates of commandments of doctorial regimes and preferred to sacrifice their lives for upholding the cause of democracy and supremacy of the Constitution and the Parliament.

The monument, he said, is to recognise the sacrifices of civil society, workers, labourers, journalists and the common man who believed in democracy. Chairman Senate said that House Business Advisory Committee (HBAC) put its weight behind during all the initiatives taken for enhancing the majesty of the Senate as a House of the Parliament. He said that collective leadership is essence of any democratic system and decisions are taken in collective manner acceptable for all shades of opinion. However, contrary to this dictatorship remains a one man show, Rabbani said.

On Gali-e-Dastoor, the Senate chairman observed that new generation must know that the Constitution and democracy were not acquired so easily and there exists a long journey of hardships and political struggle. The democracy, Rabbani said, was not given by any dictator but it was due to the struggle of common men, including political workers, labour class that the nation is enjoying the fruit of democracy. “There is need to preserve this fruit of democracy through continuous struggle”, he remarked.